Morton Off To A Fast Start

March 07, 1992|By SEAN HORGAN; Courant Staff Writer

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. — It wasn't difficult to tell the players without a program, but it was difficult to tell the score. The record will show the Grays beat the Whites 4-2 in a Red Sox spring training game Friday.

It wasn't the run-of-the-mill intrasquad game. New Red Sox manager Butch Hobson incorporated specific situations throughout the game to work on fundamentals and defensive reactions. So there were some innings that automatically began with runners on base and others that ended after one out. And utility man Mike Brumley, who had a legitimate run-scoring triple, even got traded in the middle of the game.

"I thought things went very well," Hobson said. "We put ourselves in a lot of situations. I thought we did a good job with cutoffs and some of the other fundamentals. We still have some work to do on some others, though."

Lefthander Kevin Morton started for the Grays and looked sharp. Morton, 23, a native of Norwalk, faced the minimum nine batters in his three innings. Morton, who was 6-5 last season after being called up from Triple A Pawtucket, is among more than a half dozen pitchers in the running for a couple of roster spots.

Righthander Mike Gardiner started for the Whites. While not hit hard, Gardiner kept creating problems for himself with wildness.

"Overall, though, I thought both [pitchers] threw the ball well," Hobson said. "We put them in some situations where they had to work a little harder."

Grapefruit League play begins today for the Red Sox when they host the Tigers (1 p.m., Ch. 38) at Chain O'Lakes Park in a game that will mark the beginning of the last spring series between the Tigers and Red Sox for the coveted Polk County trophy. Hobson said he thinks his players are ready for the exhibition season.

"Yeah, they're ready," he said. "They've been ready for a couple of days."

Roger Clemens will start, followed by Greg Harris, Tom Bolton, Jeff Reardon and possibly Jeff Plympton. Position starters probably will play five innings. Hobson wasn't sure how long the starting pitchers would go.

Frank Viola will make his Red Sox pitching debut Sunday when he

starts against the Tigers in Lakeland.

Darwin, Plympton homer Danny Darwin, Plympton and lefthander Matt Young were the stars when Red Sox pitchers -- who will bat in spring training homes of National League teams -- convened for their first batting practice Friday morning. Darwin hit the top of the light standard in left off coach Al Bumbry. Plympton also had a long homer to left-center and Young made good contact. Young is scheduled to start Monday against the Houston Astros in Kissimmee